Savor a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Smooth, aromatic and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat embodies autumnal comfort. I skip tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer of roasting some butternut or Kent squash. Baking brings out its natural sweetness and reduces unwanted water, producing a rich, tasty base which adds real depth. Golden nut brittle completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and providing a textural contrast to offset the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, then roast, with a cover, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Blend until smooth.
Prep 10 min
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 60 minutes
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10
Base Ingredients
- spiced biscuits
- rich butter, liquefied, and some for coating
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For the Filling
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- orange zest
- 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- freshly grated nutmeg
- clove spice
- room-temperature eggs, at room temperature
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- 90g pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- heavy cream
Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the bottom and edges using a cake tin. Pulse the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a container. Incorporate the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Tip into the buttered container, press down firmly, heat until set, take out and cool.
Lower the setting to 355F. In the meantime, add the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, mix with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, blend gently until combined. Introduce the eggs one at a time, incorporating fully one by one, next include the cream and extract, mix until combined.
Pour the spiced cream on to the cooled biscuit base even the surface with a small spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to release trapped air, then cook the dessert centered in the oven for 45 minutes until the edges are set with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes. After cooling, chill for at least six hours (or for days), until completely set.
In the meantime, create the topping (in advance). Set the oven to a high temperature and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat slowly over a low heat briefly. Add in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, break into chunks place in a container chilled.
Release the cheesecake from the springform move to a plate. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then place into the middle of the cheesecake leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits on top, offering more on the side.
